One Day
by TheMaskedDreamer
Summary: Eight-year old orphan Eugene Fitzherbert is waiting for his life to give him an adventure, like the ones he reads about over and over. Yet life does not seem to turn out how he wants it, when he wants it. But one event, one idea, and one vow will one day take him down the path he's always wanted to traverse... just not anytime soon. One-shot.


**This little scenario came in to my mind one day and I just had to write it down... but that was a couple months ago. Yay for procrastination! Thanks to hourglasswhisper for helping me edit this. Cheers!**

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><p><em>Once upon a time in a far-off land a peaceful city was in the midst of danger and chaos. Bandits had taken control, bringing fear into the lives of the townspeople. No one went outside. Their hope had been lost. The city's beautiful castle, once full of life and prosperity was reduced to nothing but a stone shell. No more joyous sounds rang from its walls. Only weeping would echo from the towering turrets. From the arched window of the highest tower, a fair princess gazed past the city's borders and over the horizon. She waited there for liberation while awake, and dreamt of freedom while asleep. Year after year, she waited. <em>

_Then, from the depths of the forest no one dared enter, on the most noble of horses with a silver sword that never failed in battle, he comes: the strong, the brave, the just, Flynnigan Rider, come to free the land from its prison. Riding his horse into battle, sword in hand, he charges the vengeful bandits. They cower in fear from his glorious aura, as he so-_

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_ "Eugene?"

A young boy opened the boarding room door and stepped past the oak frame. Inside the room, a row of seven beds lay side by side, all neat, made, and empty, save for the leftmost bed. An even younger boy sat cross-legged at the foot, hunched over an old, battered book. He didn't look up. The older boy tried again. "Eugene!"

This ignited a response. "What is it, Claus?"

"The headmaster has called everyone for a meeting in the grand hall," Claus replied. "He sent me to come and find you."

Eugene furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance. "A meeting now? Whatever for?"

At St. Ingmar's Home for the Betterment of Boys, boarders gathered only three times a day –for breakfast, noon-day meal, and dinner – and a fourth time for church services if it was Sunday. It was ten o'clock on a Tuesday morning, quite past breakfast, but not yet luncheon. In fact, Eugene was supposed to be studying multiplication with the school master and classmates. However, he had no interest in multiplying sums, and was instead hidden away in his dormitory reading The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. Again.

Claus shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know for sure, but I heard the headmaster talking with the schoolmaster." He leaned in closer. "Last night, someone snuck into the royal castle, and stole the baby princess!"

Eugene's eyes widened at the news. "Stolen?!"

"Yes!" Claus exclaimed. "The guards have been out looking all night, but they haven't found her yet. I think the headmaster is going to explain it to us. Tell us all to be aware and to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. You need to come down with me! The headmaster wasn't happy that you weren't in class, mind you. I said I'd come up, but I figured you'd be up here reading, like you always are…"

By now, young Eugene was no longer listening. His wild, imaginative mind was switching back and forth from thoughts of the lost princess, to the adventure of Flynnigan Rider he'd just been reading.

"That's it!" He suddenly cried.

Claus was startled. "What is?"

"I have to go save the princess!" Eugene declaired.

Claus suppressed a laugh. "You? What can an eight-year-old boy do that the Captain of the Guards and all the king's men can't?

Eugene was indignant. "You'll see…" From under his pillow, he pulled out a small wooden sword, made only from poor scraps of firewood left over from the winter. In the eyes of a small boy with big hopes, however, mere scraps of wood became the most wondrous and loyal blade of all.

Scrambling on top of his bed and swinging his sword in the air above him, Eugene declared his prophecy: "One day, I will rescue the lost princess!"

Claus smiled and shook his head at the daring boy. "We'll see, Eugene Fitzherbert. We'll see." He turned back towards the door with a chuckle. "Come on, then. The headmaster wants us."

Eugene didn't go right away. He was quiet for a bit after Claus left. Still standing on his bed, he looked at his sword. It really was only a few scraps of wood. He sighed, and tossed it aside. Jumping down off the bed, he saw the book, still open at his feet. He picked it up, turning to the end of the story.

_Having rid the city of its oppressors, the steadfast Flynnigan Rider was hailed as a hero throughout the land by all the townsfolk. With the fair princess, finally free, he lived happily ever after. _

_Happily ever after_, he thought. A smile came back to Eugene's lips. He leapt to his feet and ran after Claus.

"One day, you'll see."


End file.
